WITRON realizes frozen goods logistics center in Northern Spain

Mercadona: Fifth OPM project with WITRON

Vitoria-Gasteiz/Parkstein. At the end of April 2016, WITRON Logistik + Informatik GmbH received the order from Mercadona to design and implement a new fully automated frozen goods logistics center at the site in Vitoria-Gasteiz. The long-standing and successful partnership between the market-leading Spanish food retailer and the Upper Palatinate general contractor for logistics that exists since 2004 already, heralds another highlight.

Consequently, Mercadona will successfully operate WITRON's OPM solution at five locations: Madrid, Barcelona, León, Ribarroja, and Vitoria-Gasteiz, with a total of 162 COM machines - operating in the dry goods assortment, in the fresh food, and frozen products area.

Starting in 2017, the new fully automated system with a size of 4,000 square meters / 43,000 square feet will supply the Mercadona stores with 450 different frozen goods throughout Northern Spain. The central element of the logistics processes in Vitoria-Gasteiz is again WITRON's OPM system. Three COM machines handle the store-friendly picking of 20,000 cases daily at -25 degrees Celsius. A two-aisle high bay warehouse with 2,000 pallet locations as well as a 6-aisle tray AS/RS with 25,000 locations is located in front of the COM machines.

As a general contractor, the logistics experts from Parkstein are responsible for the entire design and realization of all IT, control engineering, and mechanical components. The major part of the conveyor system elements is supplied by WITRON's subsidiary FAS. FAS is also responsible for the project design of the AS/RS steel construction.

Mercadona is the leading food retailer in Spain and ranks among the largest retailers in Europe. The company currently employs more than 76,000 staff members and operates 1,587 stores. The revenue achieved in 2015 amounted to 20.8 billion Euros.